NIGHTMARE ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT
by KatieBY
Summary: "Daddy? Why does water sometimes fall from the sky and other times snow falls? If snow falls, can ice cream fall? Because Calvin from school told me that once in his house strawberry ice cream flakes fell and I told him…" The girl had held a monologue for about a good thirty minutes, almost without taking time to breathe. There was no doubt that she was like her mother.


**House: GRYFFINDOR**

**Class: History of Magic**

**Category: Drabble.**

**Prompt: ****[Spell] Nox**

**Word Count****: 892**

**Special thanks to my Gryffindor team for betaing this chapter**

**warning: canon divergence**

**NIGHTMARE ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT**

**"**_**Nox.**_**"**

**"Don't turn off the light, Daddy; I'm afraid of the dark," spoke a sweet childish voice in Severus' ear. **

**They were both huddled in the little girl's bed. Her small elbows stuck in his ribs and her rumpled hair covered the entire pillow and part of the man's face.**

"**There is nothing to fear, Alana. You need to sleep to grow big and strong… or do you want to stay small forever?" The man tried to reason with the four-year-old.**

**"I grow up every day, Daddy. I can sleep during the day so I don't have to sleep at night. It is very silly anyway, because why sleep when I can play with all my pretty toys instead?" the girl said, sitting up.**

**"Very well, you can stay awake... but I'm going to sleep, so I'm going to leave you here with all your fun and go to my own bed where your mother is waiting for me."**

**With great determination, Alana tackled him as he was about to stand up. She sat on his chest, laying her face against him and almost choking him with her crazy hair.**

**"No, no, Dad, you said that you would protect me from the monsters that come on Halloween. You promised me, Daddy!" Alana shouted, taking her father's face in her hands with a pout. "Uncle Ron also says that you are a vampire and that vampires don't need to sleep."**

**"Use your inner voice, young lady; you will wake up the whole neighborhood with your screaming. Do not believe any of the nonsense that comes from the mouth of any of your uncles; of course vampires sleep, Alana," Severus corrected her with heavy eyelids.**

**It had been an exhausting day. Between working at the apothecary, and caring for a very pregnant wife and a curious little girl, he had not had time to think about the events of the past that had surrounded that particular day.**

**"So you're a vampire, Daddy?" the girl exclaimed as she squeezed his nose to keep him awake.**

**"Of course not, honey. I always eat with you, real food... vampires don't do that. Now, lie here by my side; I can't breathe if you're on my chest..."**

**Alana got off her father and returned to lying against his arm. Giving a small yawn, she remained silent for a few minutes...**

**Severus carefully maneuvered around to take his wand from the butterfly-shaped bedside table next to him, careful not to wake the 'sleeping' girl. Waving his wand, he quietly whispered, "**_**Nox**_**." **

**Immediately, her brown eyes opened and she twisted around to face him.**

**"No, Daddy, turn on the light..." she whined in his ear.**

**Sighing, he turned on the lights again. "**_**Lumos.**_**"**

**It was certainly going to be a long night...**

…**..**

**"Daddy? Why does water sometimes fall from the sky and other times snow falls? If snow falls, can ice cream fall? Because Calvin from school told me that once in his house strawberry ice cream flakes fell and I told him…" The girl had held a monologue for about a good thirty minutes, almost without taking time to breathe.**

**There was no doubt that she was like her mother. Although he was awake, he kept his eyes closed and remained quiet, hoping to persuade his daughter to sleep.**

**"Daddy! Answer me, I know you're not asleep… You aren't snoring; when you sleep, you snore," Alana said, patting his cheeks. **

**Severus opened his eyes. "Alana, aren't you sleepy? It's time to sleep, honey."**

**"A little, but I'm afraid. Would you stay awake while I sleep to take care of the monsters, Daddy?" she asked, peering at him through sleep-filled eyes.**

**Tapping her back, he replied, "Of course, just go to sleep..."**

**"Ok..." the girl said, yawning.**

**When the girl finally closed her eyes and was still for a long time, Severus muttered again, "**_**Nox**_**."**

**Pressing his daughter a little closer, he decided that he would stay for a few minutes until he was sure she was sound asleep.**

…**.**

**"Dad! You promised me that you would stay awake…" The indignant voice took him out of his dream.**

**"I'm awake... I was just resting my eyes," he murmured, patting her on the head.**

**"No, Daddy, you're snoring. Turn on the light please."**

…

**After many repetitions of turning on and off the light, Alana finally fell asleep after four o'clock. Unraveling the girl carefully, he got off the bed almost without breathing so as not to disturb her precious dream. Wrapping her up in her blanket and kissing her on the forehead, he left the room. **

**When he was at the door, he whispered, "**_**Nox.**_**"**

**Upon arriving at his room, he found his wife fast asleep with the light on and a book on her chest. Turning off the light, he climbed into bed and snuggled her with his hands on her bulging belly. He closed his eyes and finally let the dream he'd been having engulf him...**

**"Severus!" Hermione shouted, shaking him. "Turn on the light."**

**"Sleep... Monsters are not coming..." he replied, trying to feel more comfortable on the pillow.**

**"Of course not. The one that is coming is the baby; wake up, we have to go to the hospital!"**

**Opening his eyes suddenly, he flew out of the bed. There was no rest for the wicked.**

…**..**

**Once upon a time there was a young KatieBY who kept her father up all night.**


End file.
